What Happened to You?

by James Catchpole, Karen George (Illustrator)

Overview

A Schneider Family Book Award Honor book! This accessible, funny, and groundbreaking story addresses the questions children often ask, as well as a disabled child's choice not to answer.

What happened to you? Was it a shark? A burglar? A lion? Did it fall off? A boy named Joe is trying to play pirates at the playground, but he keeps being asked what happened to his leg. Bombarded with questions and silly suggestions, Joe becomes more and more fed up...until the kids finally understand they don't need to know what happened. And that they’re wasting valuable playtime!

Based on the author’s real childhood experiences, this honest, funny, and authentic picture book is an empowering read for anyone with a disability, and for young readers learning how best to address differences.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316506472
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	04/11/2023
Series:	What Happened to You? , #1
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	86,881
Product dimensions:	10.10(w) x 10.20(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

James Catchpole runs The Catchpole Agency with his wife Lucy and is the author of What Happened to You? James lives in the United Kingdom with Lucy and their two young daughters and invites you to visit their family online at thecatchpoles.net and on Instagram @thecatchpoles.
 

Karen George received a first class honors degree in Fine Art as well as an MA from The Royal College of Art. She has also won Waterstone’s "Picture This" competition to illustrate Freddie and the Fairy and now joyfully spends her time drawing, painting, and writing. Karen lives in Bristol with her family and Dr. Calamari the cat. Find her online at karengeorge.net and on Instagram @karengeorge_books.

Read an Excerpt

"What happened to you?" said the kid.
But Joe didn't feel like telling that story, so he just said,
"What do you think?"
"Ummm...." The kid didn't know how to answer that.
But another kid did.
"Did it fall off?"
"No," said Joe.
A third kid thought that was silly. "Legs don't fall off," she said.
Kid Number Four agreed. He asked, "Was it a burglar?"
Then Kid Two thought very hard and said, "Did it fall off... in the toilet?"
"No, and no!" said Joe.
"This is a trick, isn't it," said Kid Five. "You're hiding it."
"NO!" said Joe, "And stop staring at my bottom!"

Interviews

AUTHOR JAMES CATCHPOLE ON WHY HE WROTE "WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?":

"Small children learn from us. If they ask someone 'Why are you so fat?' or "Why don't you have any children?" 😮 we help them understand that these are personal questions. Disability is no different.
When it comes from a stranger, "What happened to you?" can be an intrusive and jarring question. Especially when you're hearing it repeatedly.
As disabled adults, it's up to us to decide how to negotiate these interactions. But children are in a different position — they're guided by adults. We don't think disabled children should be expected to answer this question if they don't want to. It's often up to adults to facilitate that.
There's been a big move recently towards "own voices" books, i.e Black characters written by Black authors, autistic characters written by autistic authors, etc. That's not to say no able-bodied author should ever write a disabled character. But even people with close proximity to disabled people don't share our experience of life.

There's a need for books that genuinely reflect a disabled person's perspective, for both disabled & able-bodied readers.

Editorial Reviews

A Schneider Family Book Award Honor Book
A Kirkus Best Picture Book of the Year
A Junior Library Guild Selection
A Bank Street College Best Children's Book of the Year
A 2024 Nevada Young Readers’ Award Nominee
A 2024-2025 Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award Nominee

* "Delightful, necessary, and long overdue."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

* "Too few picture books recognize and validate the full, happy lives of children who have disabilities; this one does both with sensitivity, good will, and humor."—The Horn Book, starred review

"As a person with a limb difference, 'What happened to you?' is a question I get asked just about every day. With playful illustrations, silly scenarios, and important life lessons, this book teaches us all what's actually important when we make a new friend: seeing them for who they are on the inside. Every child'should have this book on their shelf."—Josh Sundquist, author of We Should Hang Out Sometime

"Basing the story on his own experiences, the author addresses both sides of the query with humor and empathy.... While humorous gouache and colored-pencil illustrations of imagined scenarios keep the tone light, the message comes through clearly."—Booklist

"Inspired by author Catchpole’s own experience growing up with a disability, the book deftly tackles a serious subject with levity, heart, and understanding. The lighthearted story teaches children (and adults) how to be around people with disabilities and to look past outward appearances to what really matters."—Christian Science Monitor

From the Publisher

05/05/2023

PreS-Gr 3—George's cover illustration tells readers nothing and everything in Catchpole's exuberant book about abilities and how to talk about them. Two smiling children each stand on simple wooden swings, boards attached with ropes; she is Black with two puffs of dark hair, and he is white with flyaway blond hair. She has two legs, he has one. Within the pages, readers learn he is Joe, and he is a pirate, dealing with a shark. Kid One, the girl with the puffs, wants to know what has happened to Joe's leg. Other children join in with questions about where his leg went, ruining Joe's pirate quest as well as his day. He deflects all questions, becoming moody and even angry, until Simone, who was "Kid One," asks, "Is that a crocodile down there?" and Joe lets her in. Soon all the kids have names and roles in Joe's game and the question of his leg is forgotten. Most of the story unfolds in conversation; the brevity of narrative moves the action along and George's cheerful illustrations capture in monotones pictures of the potential absurd answers to the children's impulsive questions. Catchpole, shown in a family photograph with one leg and a prosthetic, includes an author's note to explain how any person with a physical difference may not want to be interrupted (or become a so-called teachable moment) for questions about that difference, and ways to address such matters openly. VERDICT A rare perspective that removes pity, dissolves differences or impediments, and welcomes everyone into the game unquestioningly.—Kimberly Olson Fakih

School Library Journal

★ 2023-09-23
A boy fields questions about his missing leg in this British import.

On the playground, Joe is a pirate, battling crocodiles and sharks. Just as Joe’s about to vanquish Señor Sharkface, brown-skinned Kid One interrupts: “YOU’VE ONLY GOT ONE LEG!” Then comes a question that disabled readers will recognize instantly: “What happened to you?” Joe, not keen on telling “that story,” replies, “What do you think?” That unleashes an avalanche of guesses as racially diverse kids join the conversation. Did it fall in the toilet? Is Joe hiding it? But answering “no” over and over exhausts even a pirate. Though kids will giggle at the silly scenarios and George’s bright, expressive cartoon illustrations, Joe’s frustration is palpable. Finally, Kid One asks the perfect question: “Is that a crocodile down there?” Ice broken, the kids introduce themselves and join the fun. When Joe asks Simone, formerly Kid One, “Do you still need to know what happened?” Simone’s “No!” is a deep breath of fresh air. In a welcome departure from picture books where conversations about disabilities are treated as teachable moments for nondisabled characters, this one gently but effectively illustrates that while curiosity is natural, questions don’t always need to be asked…or answered. Vitally, Catchpole, himself an amputee, reminds disabled readers—who are often sidelined in discussions of boundaries—that their bodies belong to them, including their medical histories. Backmatter advises caregivers on addressing disability. Joe presents white.

Delightful, necessary, and long overdue. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews